Kiarri N. Kershaw

I am a social epidemiologist, and my work focuses on understanding the contributions of the social environment to cardiovascular health and health disparities. I have done a lot of research to date using secondary data to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of racial/ethnic residential segregation with obesity and cardiovascular disease. More recently I have begun to explore the health impacts of two strategies for addressing the negative impact of segregation on health: 1) providing individuals with opportunities to move to neighborhoods with more health-promoting resources and 2) improving access to resources in segregated neighborhoods. My research investigating the first strategy currently involves the examination of changes in segregation exposure and health within individuals over time using existing data sources. My research exploring the second strategy seeks to use primary data collection and simulation modeling to understand whether and how modifying the food environment influences eating behaviors and obesity.